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2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 10, 1940. w. T. HovoRKA BOX Filed'oct. 2o, 19:57

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Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 20, 1937, Serial No. 170,003

2 claims.

The present invention pertains to combination nesting and stacking crates or boxes of the tapered type having downwardly converging side and end walls to permit nesting of the boxes 5 when empty; said boxes being provided with reinforcing metal corner braces having expanded froml the upper portions thereof bulbous nesting portions to facilitate nesting of the boxes one within another and for holding the top frames of nested boxes-properly spaced apart to permit hinged Vcover sections to be swung outwardly from box stacking positions into positions along side of the side rails of the boxes.

An object of the invention is the provision of an improved nesting and stacking box of the tapered type, having cover sections connected to the sides of the box by double hinge units, permitting'the cover sections to be swung into positions disposed adjacent the sides of the side rails of the box.

It is'also an object to provide a combination nesting and stacking box having side, end, and

bottom wallsconstructed of wood or fibre, said -or sliding of the upper box off of the lower sup` lporting box.

It is also an ob-ject of this invention to provide an improved combination nesting or stacking box of the tapered type, said box being provided with stacking covers, hingedly connected in position, and having end supports adapted to engage the end walls of the box when the cover sections are in closed position, and allowing the cover vsections'in said closed positions to be positioned slightly below the upper edges of the box to permit another box to be stacked upon the cover sections and allowing the base of the upper box to project slightly into the lower box to obviate slipping of the upper box oi of the lower box.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a stacking box with hingedly supported cover sections connected to opposite walls of the box and adapted to be thrown inwardly into vclosed stacking position and separated from one another and having end supports'adapted to seat against the top ledge of the box allowing the cover sections' to bedisposedl within the top portionof the box Ybelow the top; edges thereof-furthe' reception of the base of an upper box to hold the boxes in stacked engagement with respect to `one another and preventing the stacked boxes from l shifting off of one another.v

It is an important object of this invention to 5 l provide an improved type of tapered nesting and l vstacking box provided with nesting members on the exterior thereof and also being provided with stacking Acovers so constructed that they are jadapted to be swung into stacking positions 10 Vwithin the upper portion of the box to permit an upper `box stacked thereonV to be slightly nested ina lower box, permitting the bottom rails of an upper box to contact the inner faces u of the walls of the lower box `so that the upper 15 box cannot shift off of a lower-'supporting box,v said stacking cover sections adapted to be swungr into out-of-the-way positions on the exterior of the box to permit nesting of the boxes one within the other without interference from. the "20 cover sections.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustratecl in the drawings and hereinafter more :fully described.

On the drawings: l

Figure 1 is a top planrview of an improved '30 nesting and stacking box embodying the principles of this invention and showing' the stacking cover sections in closed positions to permit stacking of another box thereon.

Figure-2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sec- 35 tion takenI on line II-lI of Figure 1, and showing the operation of the cover section in dotted lines and positioned adjacent one of the walls of `the box.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical v40 detail section through the upper portion of one of the side walls of the box showing the cover section in open position and illustrating the locked position of the hinged link for supporting the cover section in an elevated position.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section through the end of the box taken on line IV-IV of-Figure 1f.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view along one side-margin of the box illustrat- '50 ing the cover hinge.

Figure 6 is an end elevational vview of two nested boxesand illustrating the positions of the :cover sections in open positions without -intertering with the'neSting-of the-boxes` Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical detail section taken transversely through the contacting portions of two stacked boxes.

As shown on the drawings:

The nesting and stacking box is adapted to be constructed of wood, plywood, fibre, or other suitable material and is of a tapered construction comprising a bottom I, inclined side walls 2, and inclined vend walls 3. A plurality of ventilation eyelets or openings 4 are provided in the bottom I, but may be omitted if not needed. The

bottom is reinforced by means of longitudinally ldisposed bottom rails or runners 5 and transverse cleats or brace bars 6. The lower margins of the side walls 2 and the end vwalls 3 are rein-v i forced by metal angle strips I.

The corners of the tapered box at the intersections of the side walls and end walls are reinforced by sheet metal angle irons 8, the lower w ends of which are deflected inwardly to fit between the lower edges of the box walls and the runners or rails 5. Each of the metal reinforcing angle arms 8 has av portion of the metal thereof near the upper end expanded or deflected outwardly to form an integral nesting knob or bulge 9 tol permit nesting of the boxes one within theother and prevent wedging of the boxes 'when so nested.

illustrated in Figure 6, the nesting knobs or bulges 9 are'located a short distance below the top frame of a box, so that when boxes are nested one within another the nesting knobs 9 of an upper box will seat upon the corner brackets I3 to hold the boxes properly nested and obviating wedging of the nested boxesv one within another.

Hingedly connected to each of the side rails I of the top frame of the crate or box is a stacking cover of approximately a little less than onethird of the width of the-top of the box. Each of the packing covers comprises a cover plate I4 constructed of wood, metal, fibre, or other suitable material and having the end marginsl and the outer sidemargin reinforced by metal channel strips I5. The inner longitudinal margin .of each of the stacking covers I4 is reinforced by means of a grooved strip. or cleat I6 constructed of wood or kother suitable material. Rigidly secured to each end of the stacking cover strip or cleat I6 is a metal angle bracket I'I secured to the bottom and against the en d of the ycleat I 6 as clearly illustrated in Figure 4 and having an outwardly deflected portion forming a cover supporting. flange or lug II!l integrally formed thereon and adapted to seat upon a corner bracket I3 of the box when the cover is in its closed position. Y

Each of the stacking covers is hingedly connected to one side ofthe crate or box by means of hinged mechanisms each of which comprises a cover angle strap I9, the long ange of which `is rigidly secured to the .bottom of the cover plate I4 while the short angle member projects upwardly across the ,outer end margin of the cover plate I4 and terminates in a hinge sleeve 20. Pivotally engaged in; the hingesleeve 20 is one arm of a hinge link-, U., The arm ofA the link 2| opposite the arm which is pvoted in the sleeve 20 is pivotally engaged in a sleeve 22 which is formed on a, short flange forming part of a second angle hinge strap 23. The angle hinge strap 23 is rigidly secured to the inner face of the top margin or portion of the side wall of the box as clearly illustrated in Figure 2 thereby positioning the hinge sleeve 22 upon the top of the side rail I0 along the outer edge ofl said rail. Each of thehinge straps 23 is provided with stop shoulders 24 at opposite ends of the hinge sleeve 22, as clearly illustrated in Figure 5, to serve as stops to limit the swinging movement of the hinge link 2I from a substantially horizontal position as illustrated in Figure 2 vto an upright position atsubstantially right angles to the horizontal position as indicated by the dotted line position of the link as illustrated in Figure 2 and the fullline position of the l-ink as shown in Figure 3. By providing the stop members 24, the

`hinge -link 2| is adapted to move into the dotted line kposition of Figure 2 when a stacking cover is.swung outwardly into an out-ofthe-waypositi'on' permitting the cover to hang at the side off'the box from the hinge link 2|`A so that the longitudinal reinforcing cleat or strip I6 ofthe cover clears the nesting knobs or bulges Sso that the covers when in their out-of-the-way positions, as illustrated in Figure 6, will not inter- `fere with the proper nesting of the boxes.

.Whenthe, crates or boxes are filled with commodities and it is desired to stack the filled boxes one upon the other for storage or shipment, the side covers are hingedl'y swung inwardly from Qthe dotted line position of Figure 2 into the full line position with the supporting lugs or flanges "I8, of the cover members vresting upon the end .wall 'portions of the corner brackets I3 of the top frame' o-f the box. A box which has been loaded may then be seated upon the vclosed covers I 4 asillustrated in Figure 7 which shows the vbottom vrunners of an upperbox seated upon the spaced"'cover sections with the bottoms of the 1runners 5 positioned beneath the upper edges of the lower box, so that an upper box is stopped from sliding orshifting off of a lower box on 'which it is' stacked. By providing the supporting lugs or flanges I8 substantially flush with tom runners 5 of an upper box to slightly project downwardly into the rtop portion of a lower f box to rest on the closedstacking covers, with theends Yof the box runners positioned to contact with the end walls of Maflower box. Sidewise l slipping of' stacked boxes-"isy -prevented by the runners 5coming in contactwith the metal reinforcing members I5 of the covers. The angle straps forming .parts ofeach of the hinge units Hhave the pivot' sleeves thereof connected by means The hinge strap rwhich is se cured to the body of the vbox-is so disposed;-

of the links 2|.

that the short flange ofthe hinge strap 23 serves as'a stop forrthe link 20 when a cover member is-swung into closed stacking position, thereby limiting the movement of the cover downwardly into the top portion of the box.` The upward or .berfwhen in-openrposition, elevated above thel'ls outward swinging movement of each ofthehinge top edge of the box so that the opposite longitudinal margin of the open cover member terminates short of the nesting knobs or bulges 9, so that nesting of the boxes is not interfered with.

The hingedly supported cover members I4 of the box, when in closed position, are adapted to be supported both by the link members 2l and the supporting lugs or anges I8, thereby providing four point suspension for each of the cover sections as clearly illustrated in Figure 1. The coversections when in closed position have the outer side margins and the end margins thereof spaced from the inner surfaces of the box, while the inner longitudinal margins of the cover sections a-re spaced apart thereby providing adequate ventilation between said boxes.

It will, o-f course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A box comprising a bottom, end and side walls, a cover member for said box, said cover having a rear end adjacent a side wall of said box and having a forward end remote from said side wall when in a closed position, means to raise the rear end of said cover a substantial distance above the upper edge of said side wall as said cover is moved to opening position and to maintain said co-ver hanging substantially vertically and outwardly of said side wall and with its rear end elevated above the upper edge of said side wall when the cover is in its open position, said means comprising a iirst hinge element on the upper edge of said side wall and positioned adjacent the outer face of said side wall, a second hinge element on said cover and at the rear end thereof, a link entered in said rst and said second hinge elements and turnable upwardly and outwardly from a horizontal to a substantially vertical position as the cover is being opened, and means on said side wall to engage said link in its vertical position and limit outward movement thereof.

2. A nesting and stacking box adapted to admit of the'nesting of a similar box thereinand to admit of its being nested in a similar box, said box having abottom, end and side walls, nesting projections on said box disposed extending outwardly o-f side walls and below the upper edge of the walls, a cover, said cover having a rear end adjacent said side wall and having a forward end remote from said side wall when in closed position, said cover having a length between its fo-rward and rear ends substantially equal to the distance between said nesting projection and the upperv edge of said side wall, hinge means connecting said end wall and the rear end of said cover and arranged to elevate said rear end of said cover to a -point a substantial distance above the upper'edge of said side wall when the cover is in open position so that the forward end of the cover is disposed above said nesting projection to admit of the nesting of a plurality of similar boxes with their covers open, said hinge means comprising a rst hinge element on the upper edge of said side wall and positioned adjacent the outer face of said wall, a second hinge ele- -ment on said cover and at the rear end thereof, a

link entered in said first and said second hinge elements and turnable upwardly and outwardly from a horizontal to a substantially vertical position as the cover is being opened to extend vertically and outwardly of said side wall in its open position, and means on said side wall to engage said link in its vertical position and limit outward movement thereof.

WILLIAM T. HOVO-EKA. 

